WBEZ | Valentines Dayhttp://www.wbez.org/tags/valentines-day
Latest from WBEZ Chicago Public RadioenA different St. Valentine's Day storyhttp://www.wbez.org/blog/john-r-schmidt/2012-02-14/different-st-valentines-day-story-96117
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://llnw.wbez.org/blog/photo/2012-February/2012-02-14/V day massacre_schmidt.jpg" alt="" /><p><p>If you're from Chicago, you probably know about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. On February 14, 1929, seven men were gunned down at the SMC Cartage garage at 2122 N. Clark Street. Most of the dead men were members of the Bugs Moran bootlegging gang. The killings were thought to be ordered by rival gang lord, Al Capone.</p><div class="inset"><div class="insetContent"><p><span style="font-size:10px;">Listen to John Schmidt discuss this post on <em>Eight Forty-Eight</em></span></p><p><audio class="mejs mediaelement-formatter-identified-1332729424-1" src="http://llnw.wbez.org/sites/default/files/848 120214 John Schmidt.mp3">&nbsp;</audio></p></div></div><p>After 83 years, there's not much new to be said about the massacre itself. So I'm going to be talking about a neglected postscript.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="caption" src="http://llnw.wbez.org/blog/insert-image/2012-February/2012-02-04/02-14--re-enactment.jpg" style="width: 490px; height: 326px;" title="Police re-enact the massacre. (Library of Congress/Chicago Daily News)"></p><p>The original <em>Scarface</em> was one of the movie hits of 1932. As the name suggests, it's a thinly-disguised biography of Capone. Paul Muni is the star.</p><p>About halfway through the story, Scarface decides to eliminate rival mobster Gaffney, played by Boris Karloff. Gaffney learns of the plot and disappears. But he can't stay put. One night he goes bowling.</p><p>Meanwhile, Scarface is at the theater when word comes that Gaffney has been spotted. So Scarface and some henchmen head for the bowling alley. And they don't take their bowling equipment with them.</p><p>Out on the lanes, Gaffney is happily spilling pins."Now watch this one," he tells the guy next to him. He grabs his ball and trots to the line.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="caption" src="http://llnw.wbez.org/blog/insert-image/2012-February/2012-02-06/02-14--Karloff bowling.jpg" style="width: 490px; height: 366px;" title="Boris Karloff goes bowling in a scene from 'Scarface.' (Film still)"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kOa-pmOczhM" frameborder="0" height="360" width="480"></iframe></p><p>Just as Gaffney lets go of the ball, gunshots ring out, and he crumples to the floor. But the camera follows the ball down the lane. The ball hits the pins and they scatter--all except the 10-pin, which spins crazily in circles a few times before finally falling over.</p><p>Film critics loved the bowling scene. They praised director Howard Hawks and his use of the slowly toppling pin as a symbol of Karloff dying off-screen. In fact, the whole idea of killing a character in a bowling alley was brilliantly original. That had never been done.</p><p>Gangland applauded the film, too. Members of the Capone mob were tickled to see their exploits portrayed on the giant screen in glorious black-and-white. Among them was Machine Gun Jack McGurn.</p><p>You may remember Machine Gun Jack as the man responsible for the attack on comedian Joe E. Lewis. History records McGurn as the planner of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Some writers claim he was the lead gunman.</p><p>McGurn was a sportsman. He was a scratch golfer and an expert bowler. Disdaining the wicked city where he made his livelihood, he owned a bungalow in sedate, suburban Oak Park.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="caption" src="http://www.wbez.org/sites/default/files/blog/insert-image/2012-February/2012-02-07/02-14--Machine%20Gun%20Jack%20%26%20Blonde%20Alibi%20questioned%20in%20court_0.jpg" style="width: 490px; height: 356px;" title="Machine Gun Jack in court with his 'blonde alibi.' (Library of Congress/Chicago Daily News)"></p><p>On St. Valentine's Evening in 1936, McGurn decided to roll a few lines. Along with two friends he drove into the city. They arrived at Avenue Recreation, 805 N. Milwaukee Avenue, about midnight.</p><p>McGurn and his pals removed their outer clothing and prepared to bowl. Suddenly, three armed men rushed in, announcing a stickup. During the confusion one of the intruders ran up to McGurn and pumped three slugs into him.</p><p>Machine Gun Jack died on alley two with a house ball in his hands. One homey touch was the unsigned Valentine left on his body:</p><p><em>You've lost your job,</em></p><p><em>You've lost your dough,</em></p><p><em>Your car and your fine houses.</em></p><p><em>But things could be worse, you know--</em></p><p><em>You haven't lost your trousers.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="caption" src="http://llnw.wbez.org/blog/insert-image/2012-February/2012-02-07/02-14--McGurn Times photo.jpg" style="width: 490px; height: 363px;" title="Machine Gun Jack goes bowling, but doesn't finish his game. (Chicago Times)"></p><p>The murder was never solved. What's unmistakable is the eerie echo of Gaffney's death in <em>Scarface</em>. Someone had seen the movie, been impressed by the staging, and decided to copy it. Once again, life imitates art.</p><p>Happy St. Valentine's Day.</p><p>&nbsp;</p></p>Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:15:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/blog/john-r-schmidt/2012-02-14/different-st-valentines-day-story-96117Mission Accomplished: Grand gestures galore!http://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/mission-accomplished-grand-gestures-galore/14870
<p><p><em>Amy is off on her tour this week, so we are glad to have guest-blogger <strong>Rebecca Kavanagh</strong>.</em></p><p style="text-align: left; ">Just as the gourmet chef pulls out the Wonder bread for a PB&amp;J on his day off and the housecleaner puts her feet up on a cluttered coffee table at the end of the day, I spent more time thinking about other people's <a href="/amykr/2010/02/this-week%E2%80%99s-mission-make-a-grand-gesture/14339">grand gestures</a> this week than planning my own.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">Delightfully, the same could not be said of my husband. Who, let's face it, might have been feeling a bit of cyber-pressure to do more than stop at the Hallmark shop this year. Look what I found in my front yard yesterday afternoon:</p><p style="text-align: center; "><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14872" title="bemine" alt="" width="500" height="300" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//bemine.jpg" /><br /><em>Be Mine (photo by Rebecca Kavanagh)</em></p><p style="text-align: left; ">Quite a wow factor for the cost of a can of Krylon.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">Perhaps he was inspired by these thoughtful folks:<!--break--></p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>LindyLou</strong> drove out of her way down treacherous roads on a sub-zero-degree day to buy her husband a special snack. She wanted &quot;to remind him that life isn't all just surviving until spring and that his wife loves him.&quot; What was his response when she presented the food with a flourish? &quot;I already ate.&quot; Some grand gestures land with a thud. But we love you for trying, LindyLou.</p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>Kimber</strong> also traveled far for tasty treats, planning to present her best friend's favorite French cookies with a handwritten letter of appreciation. She was also going to buy a bouquet of calla lilies for another pal's concert today. Hooray!</p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>JP</strong> took this opportunity to ask for advice on how to charm his pregnant wife. Two readers chimed in with creative ideas. Lisa suggested focusing on the number nine --  such as nine coupons for foot rubs, one for each month of gestation. Anne shared that her husband gave her a watch after their first child's birth &quot;so that I could remember that each minute counted.&quot; Aww.</p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>Amy </strong>commented that this mission had inspired her to brainstorm an inexpensive Valentine's gift for her family. Later, she emailed to say that she's surprising them with White Castle dinner reservations --  complete with candles and tableside service. At that place where they sell sliders. Yup, I think they'll be surprised.</p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>Lynda</strong> also brought her kids in on the act. Their family recently moved two hours away and her children have been missing their old friends. So she covertly arranged for sleepovers at their BFFs' houses. Bonus: A kid-free night for Mom and Dad. Sweet. Thanks to all of you for playing, and to everyone else who stopped by to say hi. Extra X's and O's to AKR for scootching over and sharing her sandbox with me. It's been grand.</p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>Week 5: Mission Accomplished!</strong></p><p style="text-align: left; "><em>About the Author:</em></p><p style="text-align: left; "><em> Rebecca Kavanagh</em> <em>After nodding enthusiastically and saying &quot;me too!&quot; all the way through Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Rebecca Kavanagh became a devoted AKR fan. She was delighted to be a member of the initial Beckoning of Lovely team and continues to support AKR's theatrical grand gesture. Rebecca is a freelance writer from Michigan whose favorite project is her weekly Mom's the Word newspaper column about her kids.</em></p></p>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:49:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/mission-accomplished-grand-gestures-galore/14870"Love" and Chicago Architecture: Remembering "Love Jones."http://www.wbez.org/bey/2010/02/love-and-chicago-architecture-remembering-love-jones/14747
<p><p style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param value="true" name="allowFullScreen" /><param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess" /><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvZeErcrxp8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" name="src" /><param value="true" name="allowfullscreen" /><embed height="344" width="425" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvZeErcrxp8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></p><p>I promise we'll get back to the normal architecture stuff next week, but I wanted to continue the Valentine's-Day-set-in-Chicago theme we began with yesterday's discussion of the old &quot;Cupid&quot; TV show. </p><p>After submitting that post to the good folks here at Vocalo, I went to a screening of the 1997 film &quot;Love Jones,&quot; starring Larenz Tate and Nia Long. The movie was shown as part of the <a target="_blank" href="http://theloop.colum.edu/s/644/index.aspx?sid=644&amp;gid=1&amp;pgid=252&amp;cid=8056&amp;ecid=8056&amp;ciid=28715&amp;crid=0">Black Romance Film Festival</a> this month at Columbia College, hosted by Columbia film professor Vaun Monroe.&sbquo;&nbsp; Directed by Theodore Witcher,&sbquo;&nbsp; &quot;Love Jones&quot;&sbquo; is a smart, hip, modern love story between a writer (Tate) and a photographer (Long). </p><p>The credits and opening scene above express the vibe of the movie. <!--break-->Witcher's Chicago is a cool, moody world of artists, spoken-word spots and vinyl record stores--&quot;CDs are in the back,&quot; a clerk tells a character. There is the obligatory romp through Grant Park, shots of the skyline, etc., but the characters ride down South Drexel Blvd. Herb Kent throws a steppers set in what I made out to be the South Shore Cultural Center at 71st and the Lake. Two characters discuss life and love--not in a coffeehouse, but sitting along the cold lakefront outside the massive 63rd Street Beach House. Union Station hadn't been used this well in a movie since, well, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTtj-VXxgbc">this one</a>. </p><p>When I got through marveling over the use of place in &quot;Love Jones,&quot; I was left with one other thing to ponder: A black-cast movie in which nobody joins a gang or gets hooked on crack; where there is no mother figure in a head rag dispensing sage advice; and no racists to run from. And there isn't one--not one--6' 5&quot; man in drag going in for cheap laughs as <a target="_blank" href="http://reporter.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/12/18/madea1.jpg">The Overbearing Big Momma</a>.&sbquo;&nbsp; Imagine that.</p></p>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/bey/2010/02/love-and-chicago-architecture-remembering-love-jones/14747Are the CTA cuts just some sort of nasty payback for not getting the Olympics?http://www.wbez.org/blog/are-cta-cuts-just-some-sort-nasty-payback-not-getting-olympics
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<strong>Top story:</strong> After three days of trudging through snow and longer commutes, have you felt the <a href="http://chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=39876" target="_blank">CTA cuts yet</a>? I didn't want to believe it, but I have. The CTA buses I take in the morning have either: a) not been on time, b) been bunched in threes, or c) been non-existent due to cutbacks. Something tells me this drastic move by our transit agency is retaliation. I know, I know, but for the sake of the bit, weren't we talking about adding trains and renovations to the CTA for the 2016 Olympics? The people of the city do not cooperate, in turn we don't get the Olympics and the CTA officials strike back by cutting budgets. This is on you, Chicago. Okay, funny non-plausible rant over.‚ Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...
<strong>B story:</strong> Robert Feder <a href="/feder/2010/02/out-in-wls-radio-shakeup/14628">broke news yesterday</a> that Mancow was fired from WLS. <a href="/feder/2010/02/will-cassidy-hop-along-back-to-newsradio-780/14724">Today he has quotes from Mancow</a>, who talks about the demise of Chicago radio. <!--break-->Someone in the comments (120+ comments) made a great point about the volatility of talk radio. He makes the point that talk radio is for a younger demographic and our aging Chicago shock-jocks (Dahl, Johnny B, Mancow) are biding time in a young man's game. There is no place for them on the dial. Live by the sword, die by the sword.‚ The transition of shock-jocks to more WGN-like talk-show hosts is looking like a failed experiment.
<strong>C story: </strong>In Scott Lee Cohen's media blitz, has the press brought up at all his desire (or lack of) to run for Lt. Gov. as an independent? I was too busy <a href="/jkaufmann/2010/02/wikipedia-files-scott-lee-cohen/14651">doing bits with him</a> to ask about it. Cohen says voter support is higher than ever and if the Dems choose unwisely, there may be a window. Is this being covered and just glossed over or is this a unique thought (no way)? I'll bet it has been talked about, but where's your front-page coverage, Chicago newspapers?
<strong>Valentines:</strong> I would like to take a minute to talk to the 26-year-old Justin. "Dude. You still have one day til Valentine's weekend. Time to stop playing Sega and mobilize! <a href="/dolinsky/2010/02/valentines-day-foodie-forecast-last-minute-restaurant-ideas/13162">Dolinsky gave you this list</a>. Suck it up and call a few. Get a table and then go down to build-a-bear and act like you put some thought into this. And a key to your apartment is not a Valentines gift. That's just lazy."
<strong>Weather:</strong> Is that all you got, Chicago? <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/" target="_blank">Apparently not</a>.
<strong>Sports:</strong> I was listening to sports radio yesterday and the conversation was all about packaging Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich and John Salmon's contracts for mid-season trades. The Bulls want to free up money next year, so they could go after a huge free-agent. Haven't I heard this before? Didn't the Bulls send Benny the Bull to the airport to greet NBA superstars back in 2000/2001? Remember that? And no one wanted to come here? Note to Reinsdorf: when wooing the 25-year-old superstar NBA player, lose the mascot and Luv-a-Bulls schtick. Instead, class it up like an episode of<em> Entourage</em>.
<strong>Kicker:</strong><a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/2040676,chris-chelios-dui-charge-021010.article" target="_blank"> Best DUI argument ever</a>: Chelios' lawyer says "knee surgeries" caused him to wobble in his sobriety test, not on the account of being loaded. Is that the same argument Walter Jacobson made?</p>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:43:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/blog/are-cta-cuts-just-some-sort-nasty-payback-not-getting-olympicsInter Mission: Silver screen inspiration for our Valentines Day missionhttp://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/inter-mission-silver-screen-inspiration-for-our-valentines-day-mission/14623
<p><p style="text-align: left; "><em>This week: MISSION Amy K.R. has a guest-blogger: Rebecca Kavanagh.</em></p><p style="text-align: center; "><a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//happy_valentines_day.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14641" title="happy_valentines_day" alt="" width="501" height="414" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//happy_valentines_day.jpg" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center; "><em>Happy Valentines Day (source: giftideas4lovedone.wordpress.com)</em></p><p style="text-align: left; ">How are your <a href="/blog/amykr">grand plans coming along</a>? Have you ordered the flock of doves? Do you think you've got enough helium for all those balloons? Are you dotting the i's and crossing the t's on that love poem? Shhhhhhh&quot; don't spoil the surprise. But do make it happen --  soon --  so we can share details with the universe on Friday.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">Need a nudge? Take a break and listen to this week's music choices, which come from two '80s flicks that shaped the way a generation thinks about grand gestures.</p><p style="text-align: left; "><!--break--> <strong>Elevator Music</strong> is from <em>Ferris Bueller's Day Off </em> --  a comedy, yes, but a love story to its very core. It's hard to believe that Ferris would have gone to such great lengths were he not trying to impress the beautiful Sloane. Don't you imagine that if she had stayed in class, Ferris and Cameron would have ended up on the couch playing Atari?</p><p style="text-align: left; "><a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//YouTube-Wayne-Newton-Danke-Schoen2.mp3">YouTube - Wayne Newton- Danke Schoen(2)</a></p><p style="text-align: left; "><strong>Elevating Music</strong> will flash you back to Lloyd Dobler, rocking the sweatpants and boombox-serenading Diane Court in Say Anything.&quot; This is what your girlfriend wants. Just do it.</p><p style="text-align: center; "><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-j379JbL-xM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-j379JbL-xM&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p><p>OK. Stop chair dancing and get busy to planning your own happily ever after. We'll see you back here on Friday for everyone's applause-worthy results.</p></p>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:32:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/inter-mission-silver-screen-inspiration-for-our-valentines-day-mission/14623Last minute Valentines: The sweetest market in townhttp://www.wbez.org/blog/steve-dolinsky/last-minute-valentines-sweetest-market-town
<p><p style="text-align: center; "><img class="size-full wp-image-14282" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px 5px;" alt="" width="234" height="311" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2722.jpg" /><br /><em>a few items for sale at the Valentine's Day Market</em></p><p style="text-align: left; ">If you're still wondering what the hell you're going to do on Sunday, and you haven't even thought of a dinner plan this weekend, you might want to swing by the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.logansquarekitchen.com/">Logan Square Kitchen</a>, where they're holding a first-ever Valentine's Day Pastry Market. The owner of the space - a fully-licensed kitchen that is used by several small businesses - decided to pull together her connections in the local pastry scene, and hold a one-day event on Saturday, the 13th, to bring them together to feature and sell their sweet creations all in one place.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">Some of my favorites - both old and new - are going to be there, with enough sugar, butter and flour to jolt even the most jaded pastry fan into rapture. You'll be able to see some video previewing the Market on <a target="_blank" href="http://abclocal.go.com/wls/channel?section=resources/lifestyle_community/food/restaurants&amp;id=7098198">my report on ABC 7</a> after 11 a.m.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">The list includes: B True Bakery, FIG Catering, Floriole Bakery, Flour Cake &amp; Pastry, Katherine Anne Confections, Macaron Chicago, Nice Cream, Rare Bird Preserves, Rich Chocolates &amp; Candies, Sugarkist, and Tinycakes. Coffee from Metropolis Coffee will be served, along with tea from Porte Rouge.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">The Market runs from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. More pictures after the jump.<!--break--></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-14283 aligncenter" alt="" width="418" height="558" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2721.jpg" /><br /><em>macarons from Macaron Chicago</em></p> <p style="text-align: center; "><img class="size-full wp-image-14286" title="Flour" alt="" width="431" height="574" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2727.jpg" /><br /><em>cakes from Flour, Cake and Pastry</em></p><p style="text-align: center; "><a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2727.jpg"><br /></a> <a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2726.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-14285" title="rare bird" alt="" width="445" height="333" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2726.jpg" /><br /></a><em>Rare Bird Preserves assortment</em></p><p style="text-align: center; "><a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2726.jpg"><br /></a> <img class="size-full wp-image-14284" title="Floriole" alt="" width="454" height="340" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//IMG_2723.jpg" /><br /><em>Floriole Bakery display</em></p><p style="text-align: center; ">&nbsp;</p></p>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:00:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/blog/steve-dolinsky/last-minute-valentines-sweetest-market-townThe question "Did you offer a payback deal?" is now the norm in IL politics. It's the new "Can you spell your name for me?"http://www.wbez.org/jkaufmann/2010/02/the-question-did-you-offer-a-payback-deal-is-now-the-norm-in-il-politics-its-the-new-can-you-spell-your-name-f
<p><strong>Top story:</strong> Isn't it funny that<a href="http://chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=39897" target="_blank"> journalists now have to ask the question</a>, "Did you offer a payback deal for Cohen to leave the race?" What a long, strange trip we've been on, Illinois.
<strong>B story:</strong> WBEZ's Chip Mitchell witnessed first-hand (<a href="/cmitchell/2010/02/chicago-health-inspectors-trash-food-at-new-kitchen/14438" target="_blank">and first-video</a>) the health department's raid on Kitchen Chicago. It's not that their food is bad, it's that the small businesses that work out of the communal kitchen aren't licensed. So what do we do when you aren't licensed? We (in unison) throw the food away!!! <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-garden/" target="_blank">Mr. Brown Thumb</a> had a good idea: foodies should rally around this kitchen. I would think this is a job for <a href="http://www.lthforum.com/bb/index.php" target="_blank">LTH forum</a>, but someone else will have to post over there because they get pissy every time we post a link...
<strong>C story:</strong> Elizabeth Brackett? See her every night. James Warren? Been there/done that. But who was that shining new face on <a href="http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,1/" target="_blank">Chicago Tonight</a> last night? He was fresh. I like fresh. Sign him to a three picture deal! Our Political Reporter Sam Hudzik made his debut appearance on Chicago Tonight last night, talking about what else, but <a href="/shudzik/2010/02/the-election-file-those-19-men-and-19-women-who-may-be-picking-your-next-lieutenant-governor/14380">his blog post</a>. <!--break-->
<strong>Food: </strong>I messed up and posted Dolinsky's '<a href="/dolinsky/2010/02/valentines-day-foodie-forecast-last-minute-restaurant-ideas/13162">Valentine's Day restaurants that still have tables</a>' story too early. I realized I should have posted it today, which is when I would start thinking about Valentines dinner plans. Because I'm a guy.
<strong>Weather: </strong> I don't own any boots and I left my coat at work. Please be cool today, <a href="http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/02/10-inches-of-snow-expected-beginning-monday-night.html" target="_blank">Chicago weather</a>. Lee Bey thinks <a href="/blog/bey">weather is pretty</a>.
<strong>Sports: </strong>The White Sox are "unretiring" <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/2036249,luis-aparicio-omar-vizquel-white-sox-uniform-08.article" target="_blank">Luis Aparicio's #11</a>? So Omar Vizquel can have it? This seems like something the Cubs would do. Vizquel, you better be worth it.
<strong>Kicker: </strong>Scotty Iseri, former WBEZ producer, had a <a href="http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/02/08/scotty-got-an-aussie-office-job-officially-makes-us-jealous/" target="_blank">great web-series chronicling life at his office job</a>. It went viral. And now, season 3 is happening in Australia. A company paid for Scotty to come work for them so he could continue his show. Wow. I wonder if he has to colate?</p>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/jkaufmann/2010/02/the-question-did-you-offer-a-payback-deal-is-now-the-norm-in-il-politics-its-the-new-can-you-spell-your-name-fThis week's mission: Make a Grand Gesturehttp://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/this-weeks-mission-make-a-grand-gesture/14339
<p><em>This week we feature a guest-blogger while I am away on my book tour. Ladies and gentlemen, <strong>Rebecca Kavanagh</strong>.</em>
Grand gestures were on my mind while driving to dinner yesterday. With a week to go before Valentine's Day, what could I do to show my husband how much I adore him? As we passed the airport, I toyed with the idea of hiring a skywriter. And then I saw this:
<a href="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//BellaBaby.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14341" title="BellaBaby" src="/sites/default/files/archives/blogs//BellaBaby.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>
I wonder how this down-to-earth version of my idea went over? Did Bellababy notice the sign and smile all the way to work that morning? Or did Brad position it to delight her as she made her weary way home? Was it Bellababy's birthday? The couple's anniversary? Or was this, in fact, an early Valentine?
In any event, it was a grand gesture. And I want all of us to follow suit.<!--break-->
For this week's mission, think outside the chocolate box to find a fun and creative way to say "I love you, I appreciate you, I'm thankful for you." Grand gestures do not have to be razzle-dazzle. A grand gesture could be:
<ul>
<li>Having a handwritten love letter couriered to his cubicle.</li>
<li>Running a hot bubble bath five minutes before she walks in the door.</li>
<li>Quietly arranging a babysitter for a surprise night out.</li>
<li>Standing outside her bedroom window with a boombox, ala John Cusack in "Say Anything"¦"</li>
<li>Or it could be razzle-dazzle. That's fun too.</li>
</ul>
<strong>MISSION</strong><strong>: Make a grand gesture for love. </strong>
<strong></strong><strong>SHARE: </strong>Tell us what you did, why you did it, and what the reaction was. Use the comment section below or email <a href="mailto:rakwordplay@att.net">rakwordplay@att.net</a> if you have pictures to share. We'll compile your grand gestures and share them on Friday, just in time for Valentine's Day.
As Amy would say, off we go!
Rebecca Kavanagh, guest blogger
<strong>About the Author</strong>: Rebecca Kavanagh
A<em>fter nodding enthusiastically and saying "me too!" all the way through Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Rebecca Kavanagh became a devoted AKR fan. She was delighted to be a member of the initial Beckoning of Lovely team and continues to support AKR's theatrical grand gesture. Rebecca is a freelance writer from Michigan whose favorite project is her weekly </em><em>Mom's the Word newspaper column about her kids.</em>
<strong>MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:</strong> <a href="../amykr/2010/02/mission-accomplished-grand-gestures-galore/14870">Grand gestures here</a>.</p>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/amykr/2010/02/this-weeks-mission-make-a-grand-gesture/14339